Sports marketing: When disaster strikes

Sporting crises lay sponsors' most valuable assets, their brands, open to an associated fallout. How they can minimise its impact? An interesting article by Drew Barrand on Crisis Management in Sports.

Sport is never far from controversy. Whether it be alcohol-fuelled misbehaviour, allegations of drug abuse or inappropriate public musings on a thorny political issue, the national press is filled to the brim with sports stars dragging the image of their employers - and the sports they represent - through the proverbial mud.

Such crises can have a major knock-on effect on existing sponsorship partners and the potential for attracting new income to the sport. The medium has only begun to prove its commercial viability in terms of return on investment over the past five years, and some believe that brands are being scared off by the inherent risks of sports sponsorship deals. Read on.